The present invention is directed toward a cooling system for a motorcycle and, more particularly, toward a cooling system for a motorcycle, wherein the cooling system includes a rear-mounted radiator.
Conventionally, a motorcycle has a radiator mounted in front of the engine and behind the front forks. The radiator is mounted in this forward location to enable the radiator to receive cooling air during operation of the motorcycle. This forward location, however, is not without disadvantages. At least a portion of the cooling air is blocked by front portions of the motorcycle, such as the front wheel, front forks, front fender and fairing. Accordingly, the size of the radiator must be increased to obtain satisfactory cooling performance. This, in turn, increases the front profile of the motorcycle, which is aesthetically undesirable and adversely affects the aerodynamics of the motorcycle.
In order to address these disadvantages, it has been proposed to provide a motorcycle with a radiator that is mounted toward the rear of the motorcycle. Examples of such motorcycles are shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. JP6171568, Japanese Patent Publication No. 5201375, U.S. Pat. No. 4,445,587 to Hillman and U.S. Pat. No. 4,010,812 to Bothwell. Although a rear-mounted radiator improves the aesthetics and aerodynamics of a motorcycle, the placement of the radiator away from the front of the motorcycle presents other concerns. For example, a rearward mounting location must be provided having sufficient space for the radiator. In addition, an air provision system must provided to supply a sufficient amount of cooling air to the radiator and a heat exhaust system must be provided to direct heat away from the radiator and the rider of the motorcycle. Some of these concerns have been addressed, for example, by mounting the radiator in the rear fender of the motorcycle and providing an upwardly-directed fan, as is shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. JP6171568. Such solutions, however, are less than optimal and are not suitable for some styles of motorcycle.
Therefore, there exists a need in the art for a motorcycle having an improved cooling system that utilizes a rear mounted radiator. The present invention is directed to such a motorcycle.